Inhaler – Open Wide Review: A Neon-Tinged Nostalgic Detour

If Inhaler’s first two albums were them staking their claim in the indie rock scene, Open Wide is them tearing up the blueprint and sprinting headfirst into a neon-lit unknown. With Kid Harpoon (Harry’s House) steering the ship, their latest offering is glossier, punchier, and more willing to take risks than anything they’ve done before. There’s no hesitation here—just a band fully embracing the rush of reinvention.

The album kicks off with Eddie in the Darkness, an immediate sign that things are different this time. It struts in with the shadowy cool of a band like Interpol but quickly swerves into something more elastic and unpredictable, layering in twitchy rhythms and a vocal delivery that feels both urgent and restrained. Then there’s Billy (Yeah Yeah Yeah), which sounds like a song begging to be played at full volume in a sticky-floored club, all jittery adrenaline and jagged edges, landing somewhere between the frantic energy of Franz Ferdinand and the glossy, self-aware smirk of The 1975.

Lead single Open House takes a sharp left into full-blown ‘80s nostalgia, but not in the way you’d expect. Instead of just slapping on a synth pad and calling it a day, Inhaler injects it with a swaggering, borderline ridiculous sense of fun—think Simple Minds if they had grown up watching MTV’s TRL era instead of playing earnest arena gigs. The track's thick, distorted guitars crash headfirst into glossy vocal harmonies, creating something that feels both polished and a little unhinged.

But for all its high-energy, sunburst hooks, Open Wide isn’t just a sugar rush. The album’s latter half leans into more atmospheric textures, balancing out the chaos with moments of introspection. Even Though is a shimmering slow-burner that feels like it was built for late-night drives, its hazy guitars and layered vocals floating somewhere between The War on Drugs’ expansive landscapes and the emotional weight of a Brandon Flowers ballad. X-Ray, on the other hand, is grittier, a pulsing track that hums with the swagger of early Kasabian but lets it unravel into something more dreamlike by the end.

By the time the album closes, it’s clear that Open Wide is Inhaler at their boldest. They’re throwing paint at the walls, mixing pop with post-punk, indie sleaze with arena rock, and refusing to settle into one lane. It’s messy, ambitious, and at times, gloriously over-the-top, but that’s exactly what makes it work. Inhaler didn’t come to play it safe, and Open Wide makes sure you don’t either.

Rating: 8/10

Listen to Open Wide below:

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